Californios is the creation of chef Val M. Cantu, who takes Mexican cuisine to a whole new level of luxuriousness. A single fixed-price menu each night is based around an ever-evolving, seasonal collection of around 12 to 16 courses, and the flavors and presentation is playful, beautiful and most of all precious.
Chef Cantu's wife Carolyn, who worked for uber designer Ken Fulk, is responsible for the interior of the 22-seat restaurant deep in the Mission District. She dimmed the storefront windows and used dark paneled walls as an offset to the glittery crystal chandeliers and banquettes drapped with white tablecloths.